A few years ago, I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. As First Prize winner in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, I was able to perform at a recital hall of remarkable physical beauty and unmatched prestige: Carnegie Hall. Such an occasion is the archetype of success. Perhaps that is why, during weeks leading up to the performance, friends and family always felt it necessary to bring it up. “You know, Peter is going to be performing...

Columbia is one of the few schools in the country that maintains such a strong commitment to the liberal arts. While many may shy away from the Core Curriculum, I am intrigued by it, given its emphasis on history, literature, and policy, which are already some of my main academic interests. The Core allows for intense debate, discussion, and contemplation of these subjects and their impact upon other fields and society as a whole. Such a broad study of the...